More women than men are diagnosed with depression. Yet more men than women commit suicide each year. In primary healthcare, there are disproportionate diagnoses relative to gender and key questions that ensure patients get the correct care are often not asked. Would a fictional patient be given the same treatment recommendation regardless of gender? Are treatment recommendations influenced by the gender of healthcare staff? How can we increase awareness of the impact of gender within healthcare? This study used internet-based surveys regarding treatment recommendations for a fictional patient where the patient’s gender (male/female) was varied, followed-up with a survey consisting of free text questions. The surveys were completed by... (More)

More women than men are diagnosed with depression. Yet more men than women commit suicide each year. In primary healthcare, there are disproportionate diagnoses relative to gender and key questions that ensure patients get the correct care are often not asked. Would a fictional patient be given the same treatment recommendation regardless of gender? Are treatment recommendations influenced by the gender of healthcare staff? How can we increase awareness of the impact of gender within healthcare? This study used internet-based surveys regarding treatment recommendations for a fictional patient where the patient’s gender (male/female) was varied, followed-up with a survey consisting of free text questions. The surveys were completed by clinical staff within primary care in Sweden’s Scania province (n= 125). The data was analyzed using SPSS statistics software, and also in relation to gender theory, gender bias research and social constructionism. The results did not demonstrate a significant difference in the treatment recommendations for the fictive man/woman, with the exception of the “other” recommendation which the fictive woman more frequently received (p= 0,025). Too few men (17%) took part in the study to draw conclusions about healthcare staff’s gender in relation to treatment recommendations. The study participants believe there to be a lack of knowledge regarding gender differences within healthcare. They believe the treatment recommendations of male healthcare staff are more influenced by gender than female healthcare staff. Differences between individual healthcare workers is the underlying cause of disproportionate diagnoses. (Less)

@misc{8945103,
abstract = {More women than men are diagnosed with depression. Yet more men than women commit suicide each year. In primary healthcare, there are disproportionate diagnoses relative to gender and key questions that ensure patients get the correct care are often not asked. Would a fictional patient be given the same treatment recommendation regardless of gender? Are treatment recommendations influenced by the gender of healthcare staff? How can we increase awareness of the impact of gender within healthcare? This study used internet-based surveys regarding treatment recommendations for a fictional patient where the patient’s gender (male/female) was varied, followed-up with a survey consisting of free text questions. The surveys were completed by clinical staff within primary care in Sweden’s Scania province (n= 125). The data was analyzed using SPSS statistics software, and also in relation to gender theory, gender bias research and social constructionism. The results did not demonstrate a significant difference in the treatment recommendations for the fictive man/woman, with the exception of the “other” recommendation which the fictive woman more frequently received (p= 0,025). Too few men (17%) took part in the study to draw conclusions about healthcare staff’s gender in relation to treatment recommendations. The study participants believe there to be a lack of knowledge regarding gender differences within healthcare. They believe the treatment recommendations of male healthcare staff are more influenced by gender than female healthcare staff. Differences between individual healthcare workers is the underlying cause of disproportionate diagnoses.},
author = {Norling, Eva and Ross, Nadia},
keyword = {Gender,depression,healthcare,primary health care,equality,psychotherapy,gender blindness,gender roles},
language = {swe},
note = {Student Paper},
title = {Beslutsprocessen i ett genusperspektiv - Betydelsen av patientens kön vid behandlingsrekommendation},
year = {2018},
}